


Katie's Attempt at Qunlat

by katiebour



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Languages and Linguistics, Qun, Qunari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 07:37:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiebour/pseuds/katiebour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my first go at codifying the Qunari language.  We have a fair amount of it scattered around, and are sure to get more in DA:I when it comes out.  A lot of these words are my best guesses, but in a fair number of cases I can't even venture a guess.  Even so, I feel like I have a better grasp of the Qunari as a whole after sitting down with their language, concepts, and phraseology.  Some of this is canon but much of it is simply a guess- don't take it as gospel.  Almost everything seems to have a literal meaning and several figurative meanings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nouns

anaan- victory

ar/ari- person/people

asala- soul

ata'ash- glory (???-seek)

bas/basra- thing

basrath-kata- Lit “Thing-doer-dies,” i.e. “thing-make-dead” i.e. “bas-slayer”

dan- place

dathrasi- greedy animals

gaat- destruction 

gaat'lok- Lit. “destruction-unspecialized”, i.e. indiscriminate destruction. Explosive powder.

hissra- Lit. illusion. Fig. gods.

issala- dust, earth

ka- chest, heart

ka'dan- Lit. "Where the heart lies, (chest/heart-place?)" i.e. the center of the chest. Fig.: Something one values highly, alternatively, family, brothers, cared-about person.

kasaanda- “sun-dew,” carnivorous flower.

maraas- nothing

mer- water

mer'aad- Lit. “Water-force”, fig. tide

qa'mek- re-education potion, lobotomizing potion

qun- the sea

qun'ari- Lit. "People of the sea"

saar-qa'mek- poisonous gas that causes mindless violence

sataar'eth- “That which upholds,” enforcer, foundation, defender.

say- peace

shok- war/struggle

tal- choice

vashe- garbage

vashe'dan- Lit “Garbage/trash (place of waste?)” Fig. (Expletive): “Crap.”

vidd'ath'lok- (????-follower-general/unspecialized/unskilled) re-education centers

**Proper Nouns:**

Adaar- (inquisitor surname)

Ar'maas- person-??? (Tal-vashoth character name)

Kont'aar (City name)

Rasaan- (priest character name/role)

**Titles, Divisions and Ranks:**

****************

antaam- army (body)

Ari'shok- Lit. "Person of War/Struggle." Head of the military branch of the triumvirate (the antaam (body.)) Always male.

kith- division

kith'shok- Lit. “division war” (rank) Division commander in the army.

ar'vaarad- Lit. “Person who holds back evil.” Fig. Qunari Templar/enforcer.

bas'vaarad- Lit. “Thing who holds back evil.” Fig. Non-qunari templar or enforcer.

saare'bas- Lit. “dangerous thing.” Fig. “mage.”

beres'aad- vanguard (???-force)

sten- infantry platoon commander

ash'aad- scout (rank) (Lit “seek-force”)

kara'shok- private (rank)

****************

Ari'qun- Lit. “Person of the Sea.” Head of the priesthood (soul), one of the triumvirate. Either male or female.

ben'hassr'ath- “heart of the many,” Inquisitors/religious enforcers, part of the priesthood.

tamassran- Lit. “Those who speak.” Fig. Priests

ashka'ari- Lit. "Seeking person." Fig: A seeker of knowledge, i.e. a scientist or a philosopher, often used to refer to the Great Ashka'ari, Koslun.

****************

Ari'gena- Lit. “Person of the Craft/Art.” Head of the artisans/craftspeople (mind), one of the triumvirate. Always female.

imek'ari- children, child (“young/small/inexperienced person?”)

ath'lok- Lit “doer-general/unspecialized” fig. laborer, worker

vidd'ath'ari- (????-follower-person) first generation converts to the Qun.

kabeth'ari- Lit. "Simple people/person." Fig: Conquered but Qun-unenlightened people.

bas/basra- non-Qunari "things."

vash'oth- Lit. “Garbage believer,” heretic (accidental)

tal-vash'oth- heretic by choice


	2. Adjectives, Prefixes, Suffixes, and Prepositions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the translation of the excerpt from the Qun provided, especially “the tide rises, the tide falls, but the sea remains unchanging,” with the word “aqun” right in there, the origin of the sigil of the House of Tides seems clear- the Qun looks like it means “the sea” or “the ocean.” Makes sense since the Qunari came from...somewhere across the sea. Not seeing a lot of articles, as in words like “the,” unless it's built into the word when it's used, in which case “qun” would mean “sea” but “aqun” would mean “the sea.” No proof one way or the other yet- it could also be that a negated noun (“the un-changing sea”) would be prefaced with a negative as well, sort of a double-negative (i.e. “a-ban” could mean “changes not” and “a-qun” would be “not-sea.”) I don't know why, but hell, I'm just kabethari, after all. XD I'm going with the double negative interpretation since I don't see a lot of words prefaced with an a- prefix all the time that would indicate the use of a definite article.

**Adjectives:**

a'ban- unchanging

ataashi- glorious

ban-changing

imek- young/small/inexperienced

kabeth- simple

lok- general, unspecialized, unskilled, indiscriminate

parshaara- enough, sufficient

saare- dangerous

**Prefixes:**

a- no, not, un-

**Suffixes:**

-aad- force, forces (noun, as in “task force,”, or with “mer'aad,” “water-force” or “tide”)

-oth, -eth, -ath,-th- follower, believer, doer

-dan- place

**Prepositions:**

esam- in

nehraa- for


	3. Verbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was attempting conjugations of the verbs, but they seem to often be irregular so I'd just be guessing. We'll see what comes in DA:I. In the meantime, here's the ones we know.

Ashka- to seek/seeking  
Ash'kost-“Seek it!” (imperative 2nd person)  
Shokra-to struggle/struggling  
Shana- to hear/hearing  
Vasha- to waste  
Katara- to die (imperative 2nd person)  
Ebasit- to be (he/she/it)  
Eb- to be  
Astaarit- to rise (3rd person)  
Itwasit- to fall (3rd person)  
Asit- to exist (3rd person)  
Ebost- “Return!” (imperative 2nd person)  
Sataar- to support, uphold (3rd person)


	4. Known Canon Phrases

Parshaara- “Enough!”  
Shane'dan: Lit: "hearing-place/I'll hear you." Fig.: "Greetings/Hello."  
Vashe'dan- Lit: “waste-place.” Fig.: “Crap.”  
Panahe'dan- (?????-place) farewell.  
Ataash Qunari- Lit: “Glory to the people of the Qun!”  
Nehraa Beres'aad- “For the Vanguard!”  
Katara, bas!- “Die, thing!”  
Ash'kost say hissra!- Lit. (Imperative) “seek peace [with your] illusions!” Fig. “Seek peace with your gods!”  
Anaan esam Qun! “Victory in the Qun!”  
Ebost issala! “Return to dust!”

Tallis' conversation with the Tal-Vashoth at the end of MotA:

TV: ataash shokra, ben hassrath  
(Glory in struggle, ben-hassrath.)  
Tal: Ebala maraas. Ben'dar Salit asit?  
(It was nothing. ?????(A title?) Salit is?)

TV: Sataareth-barek. Alat kafir a'bas.  
(Foundation/base-mountain. ???? ????? thing (implication that he's meeting with the duke, the 'bas')  
Tal: Ataasra val. Panahedan.  
(?????? ????. Farewell.)


	5. The Qun

Shok ebasit hissra: Struggle is illusion.  
mer'aad astaarit: Tide rises.  
mer'aad itwasit: Tide falls.  
aban aqun: unchanging sea.  
Maraas shokra: Nothing to struggle.  
Anaan esam qun. Victory in sea/Qun.

Asit tal-eb: [All that] exists choice to be.


End file.
